Spinster
by Natsuhiboshi
Summary: If the dragon caught the pearl, he would've lost his reason for dancing."


_Spinster_

Sasuke stood before his father's reprimanding eyes and remained still. He had been here for an hour, and still his father said nothing. But he did not move, he did not let his annoyance show. It was rude for a child to disrespect his father.

Uchiha Fugaku lifted his hand and plucked the air with his fingers. Sasuke stepped forward. His father laid a bag of coins in his hand and said tersely, "There is a spinster near the end of the delta – she lives with her apprentices in a hut where the water flows gentlest. She and her children reel the best silk, embroider the best patterns. Give this payment to her and tell her that the Uchiha Clan finds favor with her."

Sasuke, finding annoyance in this task held his tongue and accepted the bag gratefully. "I will go forth with haste, father." Bowing with respect Sasuke turned on his heel and walked out.

* * *

This was not the first time that Sasuke had heard of the spinsters of their village. These "self-combers" vowed independence – earning their living on the cloths they created. He had seen samples of these cloths, and he could not deny the simplistic yet eloquent beauty of the multicolored fabrics.

Time flew by quckly as he walked the length of the delta and before long he saw the roof of the hut just ahead of him. It was small but smoke rose from the roof and the smell of sweat meat tickled his nose.

He called out his greeting.

The door opened and a young woman, about fifteen, three years younger than he, stood at the threshold. "Hello," she said with a warm smile. She stepped aside as his invitation to enter. "My name is Mai. You called for Grandmother?"

After a warm welcome of tea and red bean cakes, Mai and her three sisters, Ayame, Sakiko, and Woi Soon, explained to him that Grandmother, the master of the reeling art, had gone out to the main village to buy supplies for the long season where needle and thread would be hard to come by.

"But Big Sister is here." Woi Soon declared. "She was Grandmother's first apprentice. She is as almost as good as Grandmother. You'll love her creations as well." She assured Sasuke.

"Here," Ayame said enthusiastically, "Let me bring you to her so that you may see how skilled she is."

Dragging the slightly reluctant Uchiha by the hem of his sleeve, twelve year-old Ayame led him through a hall and out the back of the hut. There were large basins filled with steaming hot water, the smoke rising and curling in the air. Through the flares of smoky white he made out a head of 

long pink hair and a slender body dressed in child's petal pink. Ayame steered Sasuke to the side of the basin where Big Sister worked. "Watch carefully." Ayame whispered.

He watched Big Sister's small hands, completely submerged in water, work magic. She hauled a basket full of cocoons in the water and with her left hand nudged the tightly wound cocoon. Her right hand, which possessed chopsticks would catch the loosening strands and gently wound them around and around.

She would load a fresh new basket each time the cocoons began to disappear and she would not submerge them long enough to taint the water with unwanted materials.

When she finished, she lifted her hands along with the silk out of the water. Her hands were scorched red from the heat but the content in her eyes and the smile that graced her lips told Sasuke that her burning hands did not bother her.

"Big Sister!" Ayame called cheerily. Big Sister turned around and smiled – both at Ayame and Sasuke.

She approached them and bowed. "Good afternoon. Is there something I can assist you with?"

Impulsively, as if someone was controlling his movements with threads of fine silk, he slipped his fingers beneath her chin and lifted her face up so that he could see her eyes. They were the color of the finest jade that decorated his mother's arms.

"Tell me your name," he whispered.

Her lips parted, and in a clear falsetto, she answered, "My name is Sakura."

* * *

Later that evening, long after Sasuke had left, Grandmother returned to the hut. Sakura handed her the bag of coins and related the story.

"Ah, yes," Grandmother said. "I received word from Lady Uchiha that a dress was to be made in their favor: a bridal dress."

"A bridal dress?" Woi Soon cried. "It must be for Elder Brother Itachi's bride. She comes from the south they say."

"How romantic!" Mai gushed. "A husband purchasing his wife's bridal dress. Oh it must be made so beautifully. Let me help Grandmother!"

"More like her in-laws buying the dress." Grandmother teased. "Now hush, hush child. I will be making the dress and Sakura will be embroidering it. You are not yet of age to do something this important. Now go off to bed, we wake early tomorrow."

Sakura disappeared into the kitchen with light feet, and Grandmother watched her eldest apprentice with a gentle smile and a happy heart.

Grandmother called Mai back.

"Big Sister is happy because the handsome Sasuke-san took a liking to her. He asked for her name and they looked at each other like the way the stars shine in the night sky."

* * *

For a month Grandmother and Sakura worked on that dress, and for a month Sasuke came to see his spinster.

One day, near the end of the silk season, Sakura agreed to let Sasuke see what she and Grandmother had been creating.

The bridal dress was of fine red silk, embroidered with gold dragons and phoenix. Leaves fell to the hem of the dress and the creatures looked so real they leapt at him. He couldn't help but envision Sakura dressed in its vivid red just for him.

The thought tingled his senses.

* * *

Later that night, Sakura slid her fragile hands over the patterns of the delicate fabric. She closed her eyes and dreamed of dressing up for Sasuke. She dreamed of pulling her hair up into a matronly bun to signify her life of marriage.

She envisioned herself as his wife.

* * *

When the silk season officially ended, Sasuke was called into the common room of the house for a family meeting. When he arrived there however, his mother, his father, and an hulky woman were the only ones there.

Kneeling and then bowing, he straightened himself and looked questioningly at his parents. His mother looked delighted and even his father looked pleased.

"This is Old Lady Jun, she is a matchmaker. My son, she has found you a wife."

His heart burned, as if it was plinged into a basin of boiling water.

* * *

Sakura, her three sisters, and Grandmother bowed to Lady Uchiha who came there to pick up the bridal dress.

She admired the handiwork and was pleased as well as mesmerized. "It's simply beautiful. I humbly thank you."

Grandmother smiled. "I wish your eldest son and his bride the greatest of joys."

"Oh no!" Lady Uchiha laughed. "Itachi has already married. It is my youngest, Sasuke, that is betrothed."

And the vision that Sakura had of herself and Sasuke shattered along with her heart.

* * *

The next day Sakura waited at the window. She waited and waited. She missed morning rice and evening rice.

Soon, it was so dark the moon was the only light there was.

He never came.

* * *

"Sasuke, this is your wife, Yamanaka Ino."

The name sounded as hollow as how he felt. But he said nothing. A child dared not disobey his family.

* * *

Fourteen years later Sasuke's eldest son, thirteen years of age, stood before him. He gave his son a bag of coins. "Buy silk from the spinster at the end of the delta."

His son, Shinisuke, bowed and left.

Minutes later, still blessed with the strength and energy of a young man, Sasuke followed his son.

Sasuke watched silently as his son embrace the young girl who greeted him at the door. He kissed her lips tenderly and held her carefully.

Her name was Sa Ming and she was taught the art of reeling from her Sifu, Sakura.

Turning away and walking back to the Clan House, Sasuke hoped that his son would be able to reach the happiness he himself could not obtain.

**A/N: Mostly inspired by the book, The Moon Pearl .**


End file.
